Amtrak completes Hialeah Preventative Maintenance Facility

Amtrak long-distance equipment will now receive safety inspections, servicing and maintenance in an upgraded, more efficient and environmentally designed facility in Hialeah, Fla., that will dramatically improve capacity, efficiency and working conditions.

The enhanced facility is 50 feet wide by 920 feet long and includes a 600-foot in-ground pit that includes an in-floor jacking system to remove and replace the wheel trucks. It also has administrative offices, training rooms and employee locker and lunch rooms.

In addition, the facility has a number of features to meet the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards for environmentally sustainable construction.

"The upgrade provides our mechanical forces a state-of-the art facility that will increase efficiency, providing a better work environment for employees and equipment for passengers," said Tommy Farr, Amtrak master mechanic.

The Amtrak Hialeah Preventative Maintenance Facility will maintain Viewliner, Amfleet II and Heritage Diner equipment used on some long-distance routes, which was previously serviced in an open-air environment. The facility will centralize maintenance of the equipment, improving efficiency and reducing equipment out-of-service time.

The facility was constructed by Dana B. Kenyon Co. of Jacksonville, Fla. The contract cost for the project is $32.7 million with $29.4 million funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.